


The Weird and Mysterious Case of Aiba Masaki, or The Case of the Mysterious Thief

by ohmiyaskdesu



Series: One-Shots [3]
Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arashi - Freeform, Detectives, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Japanese, M/M, Mystery, Preschool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 21:04:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3502700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmiyaskdesu/pseuds/ohmiyaskdesu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Team Arashi, a group of preschooler detectives that consist of Ohno Satoshi, Sakurai Sho, Aiba Masaki, Matsumoto Jun, and Ninomiya Kazunari team up together to solve mysteries. Together, they are able to solve many things with their heads and strength, but what happens when one of their precious member goes missing?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Weird and Mysterious Case of Aiba Masaki, or The Case of the Mysterious Thief

It was any other day in Storm Preschool: the teachers were running all over the place to keep the children from getting into any harm, the children were enjoying being chased around by big adults, and somewhere in the little corner of a (not really) privately secured room within the preschool were five little boys. They called themselves: Team Arashi, the leading group of child detectives. Together, they helped solved mysteries from the case of the missing cookie box (a sensei misplaced it) to the case of the murder of their sensei’s beloved potted plant (their sensei neglected the poor plant); the only case they hadn’t solved was the case of the mysterious thief (all of them, except Masaki, were starting to lose precious things). The biggest case they currently have, however, started last week when Aiba Masaki, a precious member of their team, disappeared without a trace. So now, there are four of them: Ohno Satoshi, Sakurai Sho, Ninomiya Kazunari, and Matsumoto Jun. Without Masaki, this case would be a tough one to break.  
  
At first, they decided that Masaki must have taken a day off because he seemed rather sick the day before. However, when their friend didn’t show up for an entire week, there was definitely something wrong. Masaki would never take the week off, especially since it meant that it would be a week away from his best friends. So they visited their friend with their parents after the week he disappeared, but no one answered the door or picked up the phone when their parents called.  
  
It’s been a week and half, now, and Masaki still hasn’t come to school.  
  
“What do you think is wrong?” Sho asked worriedly as he eyed their missing best friend’s desk. It was the same as every desk in the classroom, but Masaki’s is unique because he kept doodling on the chair with permanent markers he secretly brings from home; the teachers had given up lecturing him about it.  
  
“Do you think he found a squirrel and followed it all the way to its home?” Satoshi asked innocently as he snuggled closer to Kazunari. “I think Masaki and his parents went to live with the squirrels.”  
  
“That’s stupid,” Jun scoffed haughtily and crossed his arms over his chest. “He must have done something stupid and was sent to the hospital.”  
  
“T-that’s a possibility,” Sho agreed. “But that can’t be… right? Masaki’s the strongest out of our group.”  
  
“If by hard-headed, then, yes, he is,” Kazunari sniggered, earning a few silent agreeing nods from the rest.  
  
“But we should still try to find our friend,” Sho insisted. “He’s important because without Masaki, Team Arashi isn’t complete.”  
  
“Yeah, we should,” Ohno agreed as well as the others.  
  
“Then that’s settled.”

  
\\\\\♥///

  
For the past two days, Team Nagi (temporary name because Aiba is absent), they searched every nook and cranny and investigated every tree (as suggested by Satoshi). They ran out of luck when they’ve already searched everything and every tree in the neighborhood. They were seriously about to give up and conclude that this case will never be solved… until one day Masaki came back to school. Once again, they were team Arashi… or so the other four thought.  
  
When Masaki came back, they expected an explanation followed by tears of reuniting. However, when Masaki came back, he was sulking on his chair, a side they have never seen the usual bubbly-Masaki before. Each one of them tried to ask him what the matter was, but Masaki wouldn’t even reply or flinch a little as if his friends didn’t exist. And slowly and painfully, the sun that existed in Masaki had disappeared.  
  
“Emergency meeting,” Sho said once they were dismissed for play time. Usually, they would go to their office (the playground) for any types of meeting, but they had to stay just in case Masaki ever wanted to join in. Unfortunately for them, Masaki continued sulking in his seat.  
  
“Something must have happened the week and a half Masaki disappeared,” Sho began as he kept glancing back and forth from Masaki to his Team Nagi. “We need to figure out what it is or Masaki might stay like that forever.”  
  
“But doesn’t he always get back up on his feet?” Kazunari was the one to ask.  
  
“Yeah,” Sho agreed. “But I have a feeling that this time, it won’t happen. There is seriously something wrong with Masaki.”  
  
“Then we should go home with him after school,” Jun declared. “Then we’ll see what really happened.”  
  
“Okay,” Sho, Kazunari, and Satoshi agreed altogether. “Let’s ask our parents first.”

  
\\\\\♥///

  
Thankfully, their parents let them go home with Masaki. It was a very silent ride in the Aiba Family Van, but with Masaki sulking they couldn’t be their usual selves. Even Masaki’s parents tried lifting up the mood by playing their favorite anime music on the radio, but that didn’t help at all.  
  
Once they were at the Aiba House, the five of them made their way up to Masaki’s room. Everything seemed absolutely normal. There was not the slightest change and there wasn’t even dust on anything that showed Masaki and his parents were gone for a week and a half. This speculation made this case even weirder and more mysterious.  
  
“Masaki,” Sho sighed as they all took a seat on Masaki’s bed. Too bad their little legs couldn’t reach the floor yet, so Sho and the rest just swung their feet. While Masaki, on the other hand, gave the blue carpeted floor a blank stare. “What’s wrong? You could tell us everything. We won’t judge you.”  
  
“Yeah, we won’t,” Satoshi echoed.  
  
“Did it have something to do when you were gone from school?”  
  
Masaki’s shoulders slumped as he let out a quiet sigh. “Yeah…”  
  
“What is it?” Sho insisted and moved closer to rest his hand on Masaki’s hand. He hadn’t noticed it earlier, but the moment his hand touched Masaki, he could feel his friend trembling. As the scaredy-cat within the group, Sho imagined Masaki and his family getting into something horrifying like getting captured by monsters. He shuddered as he shook the thought away and reminded himself that Masaki is fine, it’s just that he’s super unhappy at the moment.  
  
“My…” Masaki shook harder as he sniffled and finally turned his head towards his friends with tears brimming in his eyes. “My best friend disappeared!”  
  
The four of them gave him a blank stare. It was Satoshi who spoke up first. “But we’re your best friend, Masaki.”  
  
“No! I mean, yes, you guys are, but…” he nodded towards his pillow with a sad pout. “My  _best friend_  is gone.”  
  
“Eh?” The four of them followed Masaki’s forlorn gaze at the empty spot near his pillow. It took them probably three minutes to figure out what was going on.  
  
“You mean your stuffed dog?” Jun was the one to ask in annoyance. “You must have misplaced him again.”  
  
“So, the thief got to you too?” Sho asked silently as he remembered his missing Yatterman toys.  
  
“I swear I didn’t!” Masaki wept and Sho was immediately at his side to cradle his best friend. “One night, he was with me and then the next day… he’s gone! So I searched for him for a week all over town…”  
  
“Let me guess: you got lost finding the way home?” Kazunari asked as he rolled his eyes.  
  
Aiba sniffled. “Yeah.”  
  
“First of all, you are so lucky that you weren’t kidnapped!” Jun scolded him. “Secondly, you should have come to us for help! You know we would have helped you find him.”  
  
“I thought about that!” Masaki shouted. “But… I forgot about it until the night I got lost…”  
  
“So, where did you end up staying for a week and a half.”  
  
“At an orphanage,” Masaki mumbled in embarrassment as his cheeks turned a slight pink. “I don’t know how I ended up there, but someone brought me in when I passed out at the park.”  
  
“Idiot!” Jun exclaimed and flicked Masaki’s forehead. “Don’t ever go out alone again without telling someone.”  
  
“Sorry,” Masaki grinned sheepishly. “I promise I’ll let you guys know first next time.”  
  
“...So, about your stuffed dog. Where do you think it went?” Sho brought up the topic again when he realized that they were completely getting off topic. Well, at least Masaki was starting to brighten up a little, thanks to their group of amazing friends.  
  
“I don’t know,” Masaki sighed depressingly.  
  
“What do you remember the last time he was with you?”  
  
“Well…” Masaki hummed in thought. “The day he disappeared, Team Arashi was at my house for a sleepover. I was with him the whole time, even when I slept… but I don’t remember the morning I woke up the next day because I spent it with you guys. Then after that day… he disappeared!” Masaki began sobbing once again and Sho held him tighter.  
  
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him. Just help us retrace your steps that day.”  
  
“O-okay,” Masaki hiccuped. “Thanks, you guys.”  
  
“You’re welcome,” Sho grinned and ignored Kazunari’s side comment of how they reminded him of an old married couple. “Let’s go find Masaki’s (other) best friend!”

  
\\\\\♥///

  
Once again, they were finally Team Arashi. Masaki was back on his feet (although he was still depressed every second someone brought up his stuffed dog, or when he thought about him). They retraced every single step they had done the day they slept over at Masaki’s house… except they couldn’t remember anything. How could they? They’re preschoolers after all that only focused on what’s the present. They do remember sneaking in candy in Masaki’s treehouse and getting super hyper, up to the point where they became so dizzy and unable to walk (they ended up having sugar crush and all took an hour nap in Masaki’s treehouse).  
  
Sho scratched his head in frustration as he and his friends walked all over the place, because instead of retracing their steps, they should try and cover every single inch in Masaki’s house  
(suggested by Satoshi). As they covered every single friggin’ inch within the house, however, Masaki’s stuffed dog was nowhere to be found. Once they concluded this, Masaki ran up to his room, wailing loudly like a police car siren (actually, it couldn’t even be compared to that. It sounded like a girl and something in between a dog howling and police car sirens mixed altogether). While Masaki cried his heart out, Team Nagi (once again), huddled in the living room.  
  
“What do we do? His stuffed dog is so precious to him,” Satoshi sighed as he glanced at the stairs.  
  
“No, we are not replacing him,” Sho snapped when he saw that Kazunari was about to open his mouth. “It’s not like we could be replaced either.” Sho had been on point in his assumption when Kazunari closed his mouth.  
  
“Let’s just start from the beginning--”  
  
“No!” Kazunari groaned. “I don’t want to investigate every single part of this house again!”  
  
“Then there must be another way!” Sho retorted in annoyance. He was really starting to lose his temper, but thinking of Masaki helped in controlling his temper even if it’s a little bit.  
  
“I know!” Satoshi beamed. “Let’s--”  
  
“NO!” Jun, Sho and Kazunari said altogether. They were seriously getting tired and annoyed of Satoshi’s unnecessary suggestions.  
  
“I was going to suggest missing posters…” Ohno sulked into the corner of the living room. “Why do you guys hate me. Maybe I shouldn’t even talk anymore…”  
  
“...No, wait. Satoshi, that’s a good idea!” Sho said, finally realizing that Satoshi said something useful. “Let’s make them today!”  
  
“Okay!” Jun and Kazunari piped up in excitement. While Satoshi, on the other hand, silently followed behind them.

  
\\\\\♥///

  
It took them three hours to create (badly) hand-written missing posters; Masaki came back down an hour after to see why it had gotten so silent all of a sudden. Since they were preschoolers, everything was in hiragana and Sho was sure that some didn’t make sense. However, as long as they put in Masaki’s name, house number, and address, it was enough to be a good missing stuffed animal poster. Thanks to Satoshi -- who had been mysteriously quiet the whole time -- who drew lovely pictures of Masaki’s stuffed dog (unfortunately, Masaki was unable to provide pictures of his stuffed dog because they’re all so precious), while the rest were in charge of writing a message. In the end, they came up with about thirty posters to post around town.  
  
“I’ll drive you kids around,” Masaki’s mother said as she went through the missing poster. Sho kept frowning every time she saw her hold back her laughter. He knew that it wasn’t good, but they really tried their hardest! Anyway, Masaki’s mother didn’t say anything about it and just escorted the kids to the Aiba Family Van.  
  
It took them two hours to post the missing stuffed animal posters around town, but it sure was hard work! The five of them were exhausted by the end from laboriously taping posters on electrical poles. Once they were all back to Masaki’s house, the five of them crashed in his room.  
  
“Let’s wait for an answer,” Jun said with a long sigh. “I hope they call sooner…”

  
\\\\\♥///

  
For the past two days, no one called or dropped by. And for those past two days, Masaki began mourning for the loss of his best friend. His best friends, however, kept urging him to stay optimistic because his stuffed dog will show up for sure! Meanwhile, as they waited, Team Arashi went on a search and investigation to find Masaki’s precious friend. No matter what they did, they ended up with cold feet because there were no clues in the first place, almost as if this kidnapper knew exactly what they were doing. On the third day, they went to Sho’s house after school for an emergency meeting.  
  
“I think Masaki’s stuffed dog was taken by someone we know,” Sho concluded after further investigation. Those past three days, he noticed that the scene of the crime was too perfect, and the only people who can kidnap Masaki’s precious friend are Masaki’s own parents or Team Arashi (because they were there on the day his stuffed dog disappeared). When Sho had interviewed Masaki’s parents, however, they honestly claimed that they don’t even know where it is. “I really don’t want to accuse anyone… but it’s someone from this group.”  
  
Jun scowled. “That’s a harsh accusation, Sho. You know we would never do such a thing.”  
  
Sho sighed. “I know. I’ve thought long and hard about it, but there’s no other explanation that this. It had to be someone we know.”  
  
Masaki gulped and glanced at each of his friends’ faces. They all looked so innocent so he couldn’t tell, but he shook his head free of those thoughts. He can never blame his friends and he doesn’t even have the heart to. “... It can’t be,” Masaki pouted. “You guys would never do that to me… right?”  
  
“Never,” Sho was the first to answer as he grabbed Masaki’s hand. “I would never do such a thing.”  
  
“Yeah, me too,” Jun said sympathetically and gave Masaki a quick hug.  
  
“Un,” Satoshi mumbled, surprising everyone because he had been so quiet the past three days.  
  
“Yeah, me too,” Kazunari was the last one to answer and he just frowned along with Masaki.  
  
“See? How could it be any of us?” Jun asked Sho with a sure tone. “Besides--”  
  
Just then, the doorbell rang. Everyone’s head immediately went up. That was strange. They weren’t expecting anyone. Together, the five of them walked downstairs. Sho’s parents went to get the door first and later came back to tell them that someone was looking for them. Assuming that this may be the kidnapper, Masaki ran first to the door… only to be faced with Kazunari’s mother.  
  
“Aiba-chan, I found this in Kazunari’s room. Is this the stuffed dog you were looking for?”  
  
Masaki stared at this long lost best friend with his mouth opened wide. How could it be in Kazunari’s mother’s hand? He trusted Kazunari and even Kazunari himself said that he would never take his stuffed dog from him. Yet, in was in his friend’s mother’s hand, staring at him with its big puppy eyes.  
  
“Masaki, who’s--” Sho’s eyes widened. He saw Masaki’s best friend in Kazunari’s mother’s hand. Even Jun and Satoshi saw all of this and they all reacted in the same way. Kazunari, on the other hand, stared at the stuffed dog in disbelief.  
  
“Explain yourself!” Masaki yelled as he turned around to face Kazunari. He now had his best friend in his arms and he hugged him so close to his chest.  
  
“I swear, I didn’t do anything!” Kazunari said as he glanced at his friends’ accusing faces. “I would never steal from Masaki, or any of you guys!”  
  
“Oh, Sakurai-kun, I also found some of your things,” Kazunari’s mother continued as she handed him his toys from a bag she had brought with her. Sho had been looking everywhere for his Yatterman toys and now it was before him! “It’s a good thing you wrote your name on them. Oh, Matsumoto-kun and Ohno-kun, I also have some of your things…”  
  
“I swear!” Kazunari continued as he backed away from his friends.  
  
“Kazunari, it’s not nice to steal things from your friends,” his own mother said with a stern look on her face.  
  
Kazunari sighed and lazily dropped his arms down his sides. “Okay, I meant to give them all back, but--”  
  
“So you are the thief!” Jun interrupted Kazunari. “You’re the case we can never solve!”  
  
“I didn’t mean to!” Kazunari began to week as he fell onto the ground. “I just… It’s because…”  
  
“Tell them, honey,” Kazunari’s mother said softly to which Kazunari wept louder and harder.  
  
“My family and I are moving away!” Kazunari finally said out loud, causing his friends to gasp. They immediately felt guilty, but they were unable to respond because they were such horrible friends for being so cruel to him. If only he had told them beforehand, they wouldn’t have been so mean to him… But a precious member of Team Arashi is moving away… It’s worse than having their things getting stolen.  
  
“Kazunari,” Satoshi was the first to speak and he ran to his friend. Satoshi hugged him so tightly that Kazunari began gasping for air. “Here, you can keep my drawing set,” he mumbled sadly as he handed Kazunari his precious drawing set.  
  
“You can keep my ring sets, too,” Jun coughed and handed Kazunari his precious set of (fake) rings.  
  
“You can keep my Yatterman toys,” Sho offered.  
  
“You can keep my stuffed dog too,” Masaki wept as he struggled to give his friend his stuffed dog. “So then you can remember all of us.”  
  
Kazunari looked up. His eyes were red and puffy and there was snot coming down his nostrils. “Really?” He sniffled and gave each of his friends a long look.  
  
“Really,” his four friends said with a determined nod.  
  
Kazunari wept once again. “Thank you! I love you guys.”  
  
And so, the case of the Mysterious Thief and The Very Weird and Mysterious Case of Aiba Masaki had been solved in that one fateful day they learned that Kazunari was moving away. When Kazunari had left with long, saddened, and tearful farewell, Team Arashi was of no more. They no longer held meetings at the playground, or any one of their houses… because nothing was the same without a missing member…  
  
Several years later (Everyone from ex-Team Arashi are in middle school)  
  
It was a dark and gray day. Sho could tell that it was going to rain… It always rained on this specific day, the day they lost a very precious member of their team. After school, Ohno Satoshi, Sakurai Sho, Aiba Masaki, and Matsumoto Jun all gathered at their old preschool before moving onto Ninomiya Kazunari’s old house. They really missed his friend, missed his rude insults and remarks. If only he was there again, they could become Team Arashi. Now, they were just plain, normal, middle-school kids whose mysteries in life cannot be solved. If only--  
  
“Oi!”  
  
They all heard someone calling for them, but how dare this person interrupt them during their time of reminiscing.  
  
“Oi!”  
  
“What?!” Jun grumbled and turned around. “How dare--” His eyes widened. No, this can’t be real! He shook his other friends and forced them to turn around. They, too, widened their eyes and began questioning if what was happening right now was real.  
  
“You guys look like a bunch of depressing hoodlums,” the person laughed in all sense of familiarity as he eyed the gaping pre-teens hanging soliciting in front of a house.  
  
“Is it really you?” Satoshi squeaked as he took slow, careful steps towards the intruder. “Our Ninomiya Kazunari?”  
  
The person grinned and nodded his head. “Of course, it’s me.”  
  
“Kazunari!” All four of them screamed happily as they ran toward their long-lost best friend. He hasn’t changed at all, but he was definitely their Ninomiya Kazunari.  
  
“Let’s give Team Arashi one more go!” Kazunari grinned as he took out five sets of deerstalkers and magnifying glasses. “Let’s solve everything together again.”  
  
“Yeah!” The other four all screamed their hearts out. “Team Arashi!”  
  
And so, the five boys were reunited once again and Team Arashi went back to their old ways of solving mysteries.  
  
Case solved.


End file.
